Lake Effect Spotlight

Have you been chased by a wasp lately? Or maybe you decided to eat indoors in case wasps, bees and yellow jackets want you to share that picnic you’re trying to enjoy? Perhaps you’ve had to deal with a nest near or even in your home. These insects seem to be everywhere lately – and they’re often stinging those of us who encounter them. So, what’s behind all that activity and when might it come to an end? To find out, Lake Effect’s Audrey Nowakowski speaks with P.J. Leish from UW-Madison's Department of Entomology.  

More than a million people visit Stonehenge in England each year. It’s a popular tourist destination, but what if I told you there’s something similar right here in Wisconsin? While it’s not prehistoric like Stonehenge, Kinstone is a sculpture park that also features massive stones arranged in different circles and patterns. Kinstone is in the far western part of the state. To help you plan a trip there to see it, Lake Effect’s Becky Mortensen is joined by its founder Kristine Beck and Amanda Weibel from Travel Wisconsin. 

Invasive carp has been found near Lake Michigan. It’s been 24 years since Asian Carp were found in the upper Illinois River. Ever since, scientists and environmental groups have been pushing for a way to stop the invasive fish from reaching Lake Michigan. A year ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started construction on a project called Brandon Road Interbasin Project that would put barriers in place to protect the lake. But the Trump administration abruptly stopped that project in July without explanation. Then the juvenile carp were found in the Illinois River – 80 miles from Lake Michigan – the closest they’ve ever been detected. But just last week, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that work on the barriers would resume. Joel Brammeier heads the Alliance for the Great Lakes. He joins WUWM Environmental Reporter Susan Bence for an update.

With the measles outbreak in Wisconsin now surpassing one hundred cases, state public health officials are urging people to get vaccinated.  Dr. Freddy Caldera is a gastroenterologist and a professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He’s written about the importance of community immunity and how immunocompromised people with inflammatory bowel disease, organ transplants and other conditions navigate concerns about their risk during outbreaks.   Caldera joins me now to talk about the measles outbreak and what his research has found when it comes to immunocompromised people. Dr. Caldera, welcome to Lake Effect, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. 

“Eat your vegetables,” remains some of the best health advice out there. But it can be especially tough for vulnerable populations or those in food deserts.   A program in Milwaukee is helping people get more veggies by gathering up extra produce from farmers markets so it doesn’t go to waste. Volunteers are then invited to chop it up, cook it and deliver it to those in need of a nutritious meal. As part of our series Seeking Solutions: Food Access in Milwaukee, WUWM’s Maayan Silver brings us the story.